Moses says the "sojourning" of the children in Israel was four hundred thirty years ( Exodus 12:40Exodus 12:41 ), but he does not say they sojourned in Egypt all this time. Paul says that the law was four hundred thirty years after the promise ( Galatians 3:17 ). Both the Septuagint and Samaritan Pentateuch translate ( Exodus 12:40 ): "Now the sojourning of the children and of their fathers, which they sojourned in the land of Canaan and in the land of Egypt was four hundred and thirty years" ( Genesis 15:13 ). I regard as an expression in round numbers of the time that the Hebrews were to dwell in a strange land. Bear in mind that the Hebrews were strangers in the land of Canaan as elsewhere, until they entered it under the leadership of Joshua. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were strangers in this land ( Genesis 23:4-19 ; Acts 7:5 ; Hebrews 11:8Hebrews 11:9 ). Abraham's seed--Isaac and Jacob--lived and died sojourners in strange lands ( Genesis 26:17-32 ; Genesis 35:27-29 ; Genesis 46:1-5 ; Genesis 47:28 ). The Hebrews sojourned two hundred fifteen years in Canaan and two hundred fifteen years in Egypt.